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The latest study conducted by Induan Council if Medical Research (ICMR) sows that antibodies generated by Omicron, a Covid-19 variant, are not only effective against it but also against other Variants of Concern (VoCs) including Delta.

“The individuals infected with Omicron have significant immune response which could neutralize not only the Omicron but also the other VOCs including most prevalent Delta variant,” a study by ICMR has revealed.

“This suggests that the immune response included by the Omicron could effectively neutralize the Delta variant by making the re-infection with Delta less likely, thereby displacing the Delta as dominant strain,” it further said.

In this study, the ICMR has analyzed the IgG and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against B.1, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants with the sera of individuals infected with the Omicron variant (B.1.1529 and BA.1) as currently India is facing the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

ICMR has said that within short span of time, the variant has shown high transmissibility and capability of evading the immune response generated against natural infection and vaccination. The immune escape potential of Omicron is a serious concern and further needs to be explored.

The study, where antibodies response was assessed in those who are infected by Omicron, is pre-print peer reviewed.

It also stated: “In the present study, we have assessed the IgG and neutralizing antibody (NAb) response in breakthrough individuals vaccinated with two doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (n=25), breakthrough individuals vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (n=8) and unvaccinated individuals (n-6). All these individuals were infected with Omicron variant.”

The participants in the study were adults from foreign countries and adolescents from India.

Covid-19 will never be totally eradicated, according to Harvard immunologist Dr. Shiv Pillai, but vaccinations and medications will hopefully improve many things in the next years. Because nothing is known about the second variant of Omicron (BA.2) that has begun spreading in India, the immunologist voiced concern that the current Omicron wave might last for a long time. “There is a version of Omicron BA.2 that is spreading in India; it is not the same as Omicron. In reality, Omicron BA.1 is the original, but it differs somewhat “Dr. Pillai, professor of medicine and health sciences and technology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard Immunology Graduate Program, said ANI.

BA.1, the first version of the Omicron, is slightly milder than the original virus and its variants like Alpha, Beta, Delta and did not affect the lungs badly. But with BA.2, it can’t be confirmed as it is just being reported.

“Immunity from BA.1 first Omicron might give us some immunity against the second one BA.2. But will that second one be as mild? Not proven yet. We’ll see the data will probably come from South Africa and India first. Because in India, BA.2 has taken over it is the most common version in India right now. It’s rising the second version of Omicron,” Dr Pillai said.

South Africa and the United States too have many BA.2 cases, Dr Pillai said, adding that it is not clear whether BA.2 will replace BA.1 and create another surge.

Agreeing with scientists who are of the opinion that Covid will become endemic, Dr Pillai said the virus will live on at some level, maybe in a less virulent form. Vaccinations and drugs will change a lot of things, the immunologist said.

The government’s expert committee on genome sequencing (INSACOG) has said that Omicron is now in community transmission and has become dominant in multiple metros. “BA.2 lineage is a substantial fraction in India and S-gene dropout based screening is thus likely to give high false negatives,” INSACOG said.

Because of a dramatic increase in instances, the OMICRON variation of coronavirus has become a new source of worry in India, alongside the Delta version of the virus. This type is known to spread more quickly and with less contact, as well as being impervious to vaccinations. Despite the fact that OMICRON is only known to cause minor illnesses, it is putting individuals at risk. Worse, the symptoms of OMICRON infection aren’t the same as those of COVID-19, which include loss of taste and smell, fever, and sickness. In the middle of this, a group of Stanford University researchers found a new sign of the virus.

When it comes to the diagnosis of an infection, one needs to keep an eye out for the symptoms. And the OMICRON variant is known to affect many body parts ranging from the eyes to the heart and brain as well. However, according to experts, some signs can appear in the ears as well.

Stanford University researchers used an internal ear model of COVID-positive individuals to see how the virus affects the body. Patients are also reporting of ear discomfort and tingling feelings within their ears, a symptom that has yet to be linked to the virus. If you get earache, ringing, whistle-like, or tingling sensations, it might be a clue that you need to be tested for coronavirus. Worse, this one is primarily affecting fully immunised people.

Dr. Konstantina Stankovic stressed on patients getting tested as soon as possible if problems related to sound and hearing are encountered. If ignored or left unattended for too long, the infection may even result in hearing loss.